Rovine ka pair fisla.

Ek pal ke liye uske neeche kuch bhi nahi tha.

Phir—

woh gir gaya.

Paani me zor se takraaya.

Thand itni zyada thi ki jaise hazaar sui ek saath uske body me chubh gayi ho.

Uski saans turant ruk gayi.

Rovine ne haath-pair marne shuru kiye, panic me.

Par andhera… bilkul poora andhera tha.

Kuch dikhayi nahi de raha tha.

Upar se pathar gir rahe the, paani me zor zor se takra rahe the.

Woh tairne laga—idhar, udhar, aage—

bas koi raasta mil jaye.

Kuch nahi.

Aisa lag raha tha jaise puri jagah band ho.

Uska seena bhaari hone laga.

Saans nahi aa rahi thi.

Main… doob jaunga…

Darr ne usse pakad liya.

Uski movement dheere hone lagi.

Tab—

uska haath kisi cheez se takraya.

Ek Diwaar.

Sakht.

Thandi.

Par—

kuch alag tha.

Eent… hil rahi thi.

Rovine ki aankhen phail gayi.

Bina soche samjhe woh diwaar par punch karne laga.

Ek baar.

Phir dobara.

Phir baar baar.

Lekin paani ke andar uski strikes kamzor thi.

Diwaar toot nahi rahi thi.

Phir bhi—

uske paas koi aur option nahi tha.

Agar ruk gaya…

toh mara jayega.

Isliye woh marte raha.

Chahe haathon me dard badhta gaya.

Chahe skin phatne lagi.

Khoon paani me failne laga.

Uski nazar dhundhli hone lagi.

Taakat khatam ho rahi thi.

Ek aur punch—

Crack.

Eent toot gayi.

Tez pressure ke saath paani aage badha.

Diwaar gir gayi.

Aur uss zor ke flow ne Rovine ko kheench liya—

aur phir—

woh bahar aa gaya.

Zameen par girte hi woh zor zor se khansne laga.

Uske lungs se paani bahar nikla.

Woh hawa ke liye haaf raha tha.

Jaise dobara janam mila ho.

Paani dheere dheere ghutno tak aa gaya.

Sab kuch andhera tha.

Shaant.

Zyada hi shaant.

Rovine ladkhadate hue aage badha.

Uski body kaanp rahi thi.

Kuch kadam—

aur woh diwaar se takra gaya.

Zor ka jhatka laga.

Aur woh gir gaya.

Sab kuch andhera ho gaya.

Pata nahi kitna time beet gaya.

Jab Rovine ne aankhen kholi—

woh jam gaya.

Woh ek massive underground chamber me tha.

Floor par abhi bhi thoda paani tha.

Toh paani nikal gaya… par gaya kahan?

Usne apne bag se ek chhota sa sphere nikala.

Seedha aage fenk diya.

Sphere hawa me toot gaya—

aur glowing particles charo taraf fail gaye.

Chamber roshni se bhar gaya.

Aur jo usne dekha—

uski saans ruk gayi.

Woh jagah bahut badi thi.

Ek colony jitni.

Bade bade pillars upar tak ja rahe the.

Aur diwaarein—

art se bhari hui thi.

Purani.

Detail wali.

Zinda jaise.

Rovine dheere dheere aage badha.

Har wall par alag art tha.

Ek art—

space war jaisa lag raha tha.

Stars.

Explosion.

Unknown structures.

Rovine ruk gaya.

“Yeh… possible nahi hai…”

“Yeh cave itni purani hai… phir inhe space ke baare me kaise pata tha?”

Uska dimaag tez chalne laga.

Kya yeh old world ka hai…?

Zytherael ke erase karne se pehle ka?

“Nahi… tab bhi humanity itni advanced nahi thi…”

Woh ruk gaya.

“Ya phir… sirf imagination hai?”

Yeh jagah museum jaisi lag rahi thi.

Ya warning.

Ya memory.

Woh aage badha.

Dusri wall.

Aur bhi kharab.

Teen tarah ke apocalypse.

Bhukhmari.

Thand se maut.

Aur janwaron ke saath survival fight.

Har jagah insaan marte hue.

Rovine ka chehra serious ho gaya.

“Yeh… endings hai.”

“Different ways… jisse civilization khatam hoti hai.”

Woh aur andar badhta gaya.

Har wall ek hi kahani bata rahi thi—

Tabahi.

End.

Phir se.

Aur phir se.

Aur phir se.

Kafi door chalne ke baad—

usse ek bada gate dikha.

Woh ruk gaya.

Darr aane laga.

Par phir bhi usne gate dhakka diya.

Gate nahi khul raha tha.

Jaise sadiyon se band ho.

Zor lagaya—

Aur finally—

gate khul gaya.

Andar—

ek statue khadi thi.

Ek insaan.

Ghutno par baitha hua.

Sir jhuka hua.

Haath upar—

jaise kuch maang raha ho.

Ya dua kar raha ho.

Ek awaaz goonji.

Dhak…

Dhak…

Heartbeat.

Lekin—

yeh uski nahi thi.

…Vernexis…

Rovine freeze ho gaya.

“Kaun…?”

Koi nahi.

Sirf khamoshi.

Woh dheere se statue ke paas gaya.

Uske kapde purane zamane ke the.

Body patli.

Kamzor.

Jaise koi bhooka insaan.

Yeh statue kyun banayi gayi?

Woh uske neeche khada hua.

Aur upar dekha.

Face—

nirasha se bhara hua.

Aankhen—

band.

Cracks se bhari.

…Velkora…

Chamber halka sa hilta mehsoos hua.

Jaise koi saans le raha ho.

Cracks badhne lage.

Phir—

Statue ki aankhen khul gayi.

Rovine jam gaya.

Woh nazar—

darawani thi.

Khaali.

Phir bhi zinda.

Cracks aur bade.

Aur andar se—

grey-black liquid nikalne laga.

Rovine react bhi nahi kar paya—

seedha uski aankhon me gira.

Aag jaisa dard.

“AAAAHHHH!”

Woh cheekha.

Uski gardan tight ho gayi.

Uski veins kaali hone lagi.

Lights flicker hone lagi.

Hawa bhaari ho gayi.

Woh zameen par gir gaya.

Tadapne laga.

Usne apna chehra pakad liya.

Body uncontrollably hil rahi thi.

Phir—

ek awaaz.

Bahut paas se.

…Vernexis…

Dusri awaaz—

…Velkora…

Phir aur.

Aur aur.

Har taraf se.

Kahin se bhi nahi.

Uske andar se.

Vernexis… Velkora…

Vernexis… Velkora…

Vernexis… Velkora…

…Vernexis… Velkora…

Echoes failne lage.

Pure chamber me.

Layer ke upar layer.

Jab tak awaaz unbearable na ho jaye.

Ek chorus.

Ek command.

Ek sach.

VERNEXIS VELKORA

Rovine ne apna sir zameen par patka—

baar baar—

baar baar—

baar baar—

Jaise kuch uske andar ghus raha ho.

Usse tod raha ho.

Usse likh raha ho dobara.

Yeh… maut nahi hai…

Kuch aur hai…

Aur phir—

sab kuch shaant ho gaya.